Jtm<,  D03209692V 


K,E2FOPLT 


OF  THE 


POSTMASTEE  GENERAL. 


Postofpice  Department,  > 

Richmond,  Jan.  \1tk,  1863.      ] 

gIR  : I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  report  of  the  cur- 
rent operations  of  the  Postoffice  Department.  The  brief  and  irregu- 
lar intervals  between  the  meetings  of  58,  to  whic&reports  havo 
been  heretofore  made,  rec  yofor  me  to  recapitulate  some 
of  the  matters  embraced  in  former  reports. 

.)    EXPENDITURES. 

Thfc  receipts  for  the  month  of  June,  1861,  were,  !,384  67 

E  X  [ )  e  n '<  \  it  u  r e  s  fi  |  e  ribd,  .135,02724 

Excess  of  expenditiii  ft43,542  57 

Receiots  fos  the  pear  from  July  1st,  1861,  to 

Ju]  '  S1,011.1S9  05 

.Expenditures  for  the  same  period,  2,924,290  4$. 

Excess  ofr  expenditures,  .    $1,013,1#1   43 

■L 
Making  a  total  excess  of  expenditures  from  1st 

June,  1861,  to  June  30th,  1862,  of  $1,056,644  00 

Grants  from  the  General  Treasury,  in  aid  of  the 

revenues    of   the    Postoffice    Department    to 

June  3Uth,  1862,  1,739,450  93 

Leaving  an  excess   of  revenues  and  grants  to 

that  dale  of  J682,806  J93-- 

This  excess  of  revenue,  over  the  estimated  expenditures,  resulted 
from  the  increase  of  revenue  by  the  increased  rates  of  our  postage 
as  compared  with  those  of  the  United  States,  which  formed  the  bases 
of  my  former  estimates,  and  from  the  reductions  of  the  cost  of  the- 
service  by  the  various  means  mentioned  in  my  former  reports. 


I  am  now  enabled  to  give   the  following  comparison  of  the   actual 
receipts  and  expenditures  for  the  hist   fiscal   year    under   the   govern- 
ment of  the  United  States,  and  the  first  fiscal  year  under  the  govern- 
ment of  the  Confederate  States. 
Amount  of  receipts  under  the  government  of 

the     United     States    for    the  year    which 

ended  J  h,  I860,  $1,517,540  65 

Amount  of  receipts    under  the  government 
be  Confederate   States,   for   the   year 

which  ended  Juno  30th,  1862,  1,911, IS:)  05 


Increase  of  receipts  in  Confederate  States, 


Expenditures  under  the  United  States  for  the 

year  which  ended  June  30th,  1860,  $4,296,246   78 

Expenditures  under  the   Confederate    States 

for  the  year  which  ended  June  30th,  1862,  2,924,290  48 


Excess    of   expenditures    under  the    United 

States,  $1,371,956  30 

Which,  added  to  increase  of  revenue    under 

Confederate  Government  of  393,648  50 

Exhibits  an  improvement  in  the  finances  of 

the  Department  of  $1,765,604  80 


DETAILED  STATEMENT  of  the  receipts  and   expenditures  fir  one 
month,  from  the  1st  to  the  SOth  June,  1861. 

EXPENDITURES. 

$W.  transportation  of  the  mails,  S,073  C4 

"    (               Ltion  of  Postmasters^  35,047  20 

"               "                Clerks  in  Postoffices  8,17?  10 

■"     Ship,  steamboat  and  way  letters,  \  j  (j  gg 

W     Advertising,  1.173  91 

"    %iil  Bags,  1  75 

"    Blanks  and  printing,  3,000  00 

"    Wrapping  paper,                                                    m  4*73 

"    Mail  locks,  keys  and  stamps,  73  67 

"    Mail  depredations,       •  GG9  51 

•"     Miscellaneous  payments,  8G I  26 


§135,927  24 


RECEIPTS.  # 

From  letter  postage,    ^  $79,458  38 

Newspapers  and  pamphlets,  11,973  16 

•Surplus  of  emoluments  from  box  rents,  953  13 


92  334  G7 

Excess  of  expenditures,  $43,542  57 


A  DETAILED  STATEMENT  of  the  receipts  and  exjindiivres  for 
one  year,fr^m  July  \st>  1861,  to  June  30^,  1862. 


EXPENDITURES. 

For  transportation  of  the  mails, 
compensation  of  Postmasters, 

"  Clerks  in  Postoffices, 

Ship,  steamboat  and  way  letters, 
Advertising, 
Mail  bags, 
Office  furniture, 
Blanks  and  printing, 
\V rapping  paper, 
Mail  locks,  keys  and  stamps, 
Mail  depredations  and  special  agents, 
Miscellaneous  payments, 
Postage  stamps, 


$2,052,953 

76 

671.727 

G7 

98,821 

29 

777 

09 

6.879 

3 

714' 

77 

81 

81 

23.6  \% 

19 

4,854 

91 

6S9 

41) 

20,21)6 

50 

17,112 

7 

22,869 

53 

$2,924,890  48 


RECMPTS. 

From  letter  postage,  $1,005,985  04 

From  newspapers  and  pamphlets,  205,200  87 

From  surplus  of  emoluments  from  "box 

rents,  7,935  30 

From  postage  stamps,  692, 067  94 


1,91  1,183      5 


Excess  of  expenditure,  §1,013.101    43 

Add  excess  of  expenditure  for  the  month 

of  June,  1861,  .  43,5:2  57 


Total  excess  of  expenditures  from  June 

1st,  1861,  to  30th  June,  1SG2.  $1,056,644  00 

To  meet  this  deficiency  of  revenue 
the  following  grants  have  been  made 
from  the  general  treasury  : 

By  act  approved  March  6th,  1861,  $320,060  3-6 

By  act  approved  August  29th,  1861,  500,000  00 

By  act  approved  April   3d,  1862,  the 

amount  of  my  estimate  of  March  5,  • 

1S62,  919,390  57 

1,739,450  93 


Leaving  an  excess  of  means  over  the 
expenditures  from  June  1st,  1861, 
to  June  30th,    1862,  of  $623,806  93 

4/97// 


DETAILED  ESTIMATES  of  the  Receipts  and  Expenditures  for  ths 
year  ending  June  30,  1863. 

EXPENDITURES.  , 

For  transportation  of  the  mails,  $2,493,889  86* 

for  compensation  of  postmasters,  671.7  3?   67 

For  compensation  of  clerks  in  post  offices,,  9S,821 

For  ship,  steamboat  and  way  letters*,  77?  09 

For  advertising,  6,879   OS 

For  mail  bags,  714  77 

For  office  furniture,  81   81 

For  blanks  and  printing,   .  80,001)  00 

For  wrapping  paper  and  twine,  8,00'.)  00 

F<t  mail  locks,  keys  and  stamps,  688   40 

Fur  mail  depredations  and  special  agents,/  25,2' Mi   50 

For  miscellaneous  payments,  17,112  07 

For  postage  stamps,  2  2.869 


.) 


$3,376,2o*8  99 


RECEIPTS. 

From  letter  postage,  $1,005,985  04 

From  newspapers  and  pamphlets,  205.200  87 

Surplus  of  emoluments  from  box  Cnts,  7,935  20 

From  postage  stamps,  692,067  94 


1,911,189  05 


Estimated  excess  of  expenditures,  $1,465,079  94 

Amount  of  appropriations  remaining  to 
the  credit  of  the  Department  on  the 
:    Ith  June,  1862,  ^  $682,806  93 

To  balance  of  appropriation  under  act  o7 
April  3d,  1862,  as  per  estimate  of 
March  11th,  1862,     .  532,211   74 

Amount   apropriated  by  act  of  October 

9th,  1862,  130,607  39 

Amount  appropriated  by  act  of  October 

13th,  1862,  *  130,607  39 


1,476,233  45 


Which  would  leave  a  balance  in  the  treasury  to  the 
credit  of  the  Department,  at  the  end  of  the  current 
fiscal  year,  of  $11,153  51 

From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  no  further  grants  from  the  general  trea- 
sury are  required  for  the  current  fiscal  year,  ending  the  30th  of  June 
next ;  and,  it  is  estimated  that  at  that  date  there  will  remain  in  the 
treasury,  to  the  credit  of  the  Postoffice  Department,  the  sum  of 
eleven  thousand  one  hundred  and  fifty-three  dollars  and  fifty- one 
cents,  ($11,153  51)  of  the  grants  heretofore  made  from  the  general 
treasury,  in  aid  of  the  revenues  of  the  Department, 


X  submit,  herewith,  tabular  statement  marked  (A),  showing  in  de- 
tail the  receipts  of  the  Department  under  their  several  heads,  for  the 
several  quarters,  and,  in  the  aggregate,  from  the  1st  of  June,  186!, 
to  the  30th  of  June,  1862.  Tabular  statement,  marked  (B),  showing' 
the  expenditures  of  the  Department  in  detail,  under  their  several 
heads,  and,  in  the  aggregate  for  the  same  period.  And  tabular  state- 
ment, marked  (C),  showing  a  full  and  detailed  statement  of  there 
ceipts  and  expenditures  under  their  several  heads,  by  States,  and  iir 
the  aggregate,  for  the  same  period. 

The  estimated  receipts  for  the  current  fiscal  year  are  based  on  the 
actual  receipts  of  the  past  fiscal  year. 

The  act  approved  the  19th  of  April  last,  establishing  a  uniform  rale' 
of  letter  postage  of  ten  cents,  from  and  after  the  1st  day  of  July- 
last,  and  the  aet  approved  the  21st  of  April  last,  reducing  the  rates 
of  commissions  to  be  allowed  to 'postmasters,  from  and  after  the  1st 
day  of  July  last,  have  not  been  in  force  a  sufficient  length  of  time  to 
•enahl-e  me  to  determine  the  effect  they  are  to  produce  on  the  revenues 
of  th"  Department,  as  the  accounts  in  the  current  course  of  busin  ^ 
in  the  Auditor's  cilice,  have  only  been  settled  up  to  the  3  >tb  of  June 
last  But  I  have  no  doubt,  judging  from  such  unofficial  information' 
as  I  have  received,  that  they  will  "produce  an  increase  of  revenue, 
though  I  have  no  information  of  a  character  which  would  authorize  a 
change  of  the  abore  estimates. 

The  revenue  accounts  of  the  department  for  the  first  quarter,  end- 
ing the  30th  of  September  last,  since  the  above  named  acts  went  inW 
Effect,  being  the  first  quarter  of  the  current  fiscal  year,  will  be  audited 
by  the  20th  of  this  mouth.  The  returns  for  that  quarter  will  sh<>\r 
the  effect  which  these  measures  are  to  prodnce  on  the  revenues  of  the 
Department;  ami  will  serve  as  a^asis  for  estimates  of  receipts  for 
the  fiscal  year  from  the  1st  of  July,  1863,  tftthe  30th  of  June,  1-864. 
As  soon  as  this  information  is  obtained,  I  will  prepare  and  submil 
detailed  estimates  for  that  year  for  the  information  of  Congress  ia 
making  provisions  for  the  postal  service  after  the  30th  of  June  next., 

RENEWAL  OF  SUGGESTIONS  OF  SPECIAL- REPORT.. 

I  renew  the  suggestions  of  my  special  report  of  the  29th  of  Sep- 
tember last,,  as  to  the  difficulty  of  complying  with  the  provision  of  the 
Coiisutution^which  requires  the  expenses  of  the  Department  to  be  de- 
fray el  out  of  irs  own  revenues,  after  the  1st  of  March  next.  Unless 
Congress  can  devise  some  way  of  giving  aid  to  the  department  from 
the  general  treasury,  it  will  become  necessary,  at  an  early  day,  to 
reduce  and  discontinue  so  much  of  the  service  as  to  bring  the  c  ! 
within  hs'accruing  revenues.  And  ft  is  believed  this  cannot  be  done, 
without  depriving  portions  of  the  country  of  necessary  mail  facilities. 

MEANS    OF    INCREASING'    REVENUE. 

As  a  means  of  augmenting  the  revenues  of  the  Department,  afei 
overcoming  to  some  extent  the  deficit  of  its  receipts,  I  recommend  at* 
increase  of  the  rates  of  postage  on  newspapers  to  a  uniform  rate  of 
one  cent  on  each  newspaper  weighing  not  more   {han  three. ounces, 


and  in  the  same  proportion  for  those  of  greater  weight,  for  any  dis- 
tance, when  sent  to  regular  subscribers,  and  paid  in  advance  ;  and  the 
repeal  of  the  provision  of  the  second  section  of  the  act  o«f  May  13th, 
1881,  prescribing  the  rate3  of  postage,  which  authorizes  the  publish- 
ers of  newspapers  or  periodicals  within  the  Confederate  States  to' send 
and  receive  their  exchanges  free  of  postage. 

The  propriety  an  1  justice  of  the  first  of  these  recommendations  will  be 
seen  by  reference  to  the  fact  that,  under  the  law  as  it  now  stands,  a  news- 
paper weighing  three  ounces  is  sent  through  the  mails  any  distance 
for  a  fraction  over  three-fourths  of  a  cent,  while  the  postage  on  a 
•ingle  letter,  weighing  one-half  of  an  ounce,  is  ten  cents,  and  six  single 
Tatters,  weighing  in  the  aggregate  but  three  ounces,  pay  sixty  cents. 
Even  at  the  rate  of  increase  here  proposed,  which  is  a  fraction  less 
thin  twenty-five  per  cent,  on  the  present  rates,  ten  newspapers,  each 
weighing  three  ounces,  would  only  yield  the  amount  of  postage  paid 
on  one  letter  of  a  half  ounce  weight.  It  is  true  that  the  cost  of  the 
department,  in  furnishing  blanks,  keeping  accounts  and  in  clerical 
Tabor,  is  greater  in  the  lctt  r  than  in  the  paper  mail,  but  the  cost  per 
ounce  of  transportation,  which  constitutes  the  chief  item  of  expendi- 
ture, is  the  same  in  each.  The  Constitution  requires  that  the  Depart- 
ment shall  be  self-supporVmg.  And  it  can  only  be  rightly  made  so  by 
requiring  all  matter  sent  through  the  mails  to  pay  its  just  proportion 
©f  the  expense.  The  increase  here  proposed  is  but  a  partial  remedy 
of  the  evil,  which  grew  up  under  the  old  governujfent,  of  sending 
newspapers  and  other  printed  matter  through  the  mails  without  re- 
quiring the  payment  on  them  of  their  just  proportion  of  expense,  and 
ef  taxing  the  business  and  social  correspondence,  and  the  general 
treasury  of  the  country,  for  the  benefit  of  the  readers  and  publishers 
of  newspapers. 

The  injustice  of  requiring  newspaper  exchanges  to  be  carried  free 
of  postage  is  a  still  greater  departure  from  the  spirit  and  object  of 
t%e  provision  of  th2  Constitution  above  referred  to,  and  from  the 
Principles  of  right.  Their  publication  and  dissemination  constitute 
one  of  lie;  industrial  pursuit's  of  the  country.  And  while  it  is  a,  very* 
oae  ait.    it    is   not    perceived    why  it    should   be  fostered  by 

trnment  aid  at  the  expense  of  other  equally  useful  indus- 
trial interests.  Allowing  these  exchanges  to  pass  free  of  pos- 
!.:•.  i  through  t^e  postoffiees  and  mails  is  equivalent  to  granting  to 
them,  by  act  of  Congress,  a  subsidy  equal  to  the  amount  of  postage 
at  current  rates,  which  would  be  derived  from  them  if  they  were 
charged  with  postage  as  other  papers,  1  am  not  awrare  of  the  exis- 
tence of  any  provision  of  the  Consticution  which,  either  by  express 
grant  of  power,  or  by  necessary"  inference  from  a  grant  of  power, 
would  authorize  the  bestowal  of  such  a  subsidy,  or  of  doing  that  which 
is  its  equivalent,  allowing  newspaper  exchanges  to^)ass  through  the 
postoiiijes  and  mails  free  of  postage. 

I    therefore  recommend,  as  I  did  in  a  former  report,  the  repeal  of 
said  provision. 

These  two  changes,  while  they  would  add  but  a  trifle  to  the  tax  on 
each  individual  interested,   would  furnish  an    aggregate   of  revenue 


to  the  department  of,  probably,  sixty  or  seventy  thousand  dollars  per 
annum. 

I  ask  for  no  change  of  the  rates  of  postage  on  other  printed  matter  ; 
but  think  it  probable,  v/hen  the  report  of  receipts  from  postages,  for 
the  quarter  which  nded  the  30th  of  September  Last,  is  made,  that  it 
will  show,  in  connection  with  the  inflation  of  the  currency,  and  the 
increased  price  of  everything,  that  the  rates  of  letter  postage  may 
be  farther  increased. 

PAE-P1YMFNT  OF  LETTER  POSTAGE. 

By  the  first  section  of  "An  Act"  No.  194,  "relating  o  the  prepay- 
ment of  postage  in  certain  cases,"  approved  July  29th,  1801,  officers, 
musicians  and  privates  in  the  army  are  authorized  to  send  their  letters 
through  the  mails,  upon  making  the  required  endorsements,  without 
the  pre-payment  of  postage,  the  payment  of  the  postage  being  re- 
quired to  be  made  at  the  office  of  deliv 

This  departure  from  the  correct  principle  of  requiring  the  pre-pay- 
ment of  p  -stage  in  all  cases  was  adopted  by  Congress  to  facilitate  the 
correspondence  of  our  officers  and  Boldiers,  after  the  disappearance 
Tom  circulation  of  small  specie  change,  and  before  the  Department 
had  procured  go  mps.     The  condition  of  things  which  induced 

the  adoption  of  this  provision,  has  now  passed  away,  and  the  Depart- 
ment is  enabled  to  furnish  postage  stamps  in  any  quantities  which  may 
be  required,  which  secures  the  desired  facility  for  the  pre-payment 
W  postage.  In  addition  to  which,  there  are  other  strong  reasons  for 
the  repeal  of  the  law  authorizing  the  sending  of  these  letters  through 
the  mails,  without  the  pre-payment  of  the  postage.  The  most  im- 
portant of  which  are  that  the  practical  effect  of  the  act  is  to  defeat, 
in  a  great  measure,  the  object  for  which  it  was  passed,  and  to  burden 
the  maijj  with  large  numbers  of  letters  which  are  never  received  by 
the  persons  to  whom  they  arc  sent,  but  are  forward:-  i  to  the  dead-letter- 
office  and  destroyed. 

A  short  time  since,  when  our  army  fell  back  from  Winchester,  Vir- 
ginia., the  postmaster  at  that  place  forwarded  to  this  city  at  one  time  six 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty-five  letters,  which  had  been  i  ranked 
under  the  authority  of  the  act  under  consideration,  and  addressed  by 
soldiers  to  other  soldiers.  Having  been  advised  of  the  large  number 
of  such  letters  which  failed  to  reach  their  destination,  I  directed  special 
agent  Word,  of  this  department,  to  investigate  and  report  the  cause. 
A  C'  py  of  )g[s  report  is  hereto  annexed,  marked  (D).  This  investiga- 
tion disclosed  the  fact  that  the  private  soldiers,  as  well  as  many  offi- 
cers, could  not  leave  the  lines  of .  the  army  to  visit  the  postoffices  for 
their  letters,  and  that  messengers  from  the  different  commands,  when 
sent  for  them,  refused  to  take  letters  out  of  the  offices,  on  which  the 
pqgage  had  not  een  paid,  as  in  doing  so  they  were  required  to  pay 
the  postage,  while  the  letters,  from  various  causes,  would,  in  many 
cases,  be  left  uncalled  for  in  their  hands,  and  they  would  lose  the 
money  advanced  in  payment  of  the  postage  on  them.  And  in  the 
case  at  the  Winchester  office,  the  large  number  of  letters   sent  bacb 


were  those  which  remained  uncalled  for,  after  the  postmaster  had  no- 
tified the  commanders  of  regiments  and  separate  battalions  and  com- 
panies to  send  for  them. 

A  report  on  this  subject,  from  the  Postmaster  of  this  city,  discloses 
the  fact  that  there  arc  now  some  ten  thousand  of  these  franked  letters 
in  his  office;  and  he  is  of  opinion  that  many  of  them  are  reports 
from  surgeons  in  charge  of  hospitals  to  commanders  of  regiments  of 
the  death,  discharge,  &c.  of  soldiers,  and  that  they  are  not  taken 
out  of  the  office  on  acsount  of  the  ct  n   them.     A  copy  of  Ifis 

report  is  hereto  annexed,  marked  (E).  I  respectfully  call  attention 
to  this  report,  and  to  the  one  from  special  agent  Word,  for  more  de- 
tailed information  on  this  subject. 

The  repeal  of  this  law  will  greatly  benefit  the  revenues  of  the  De- 
partment, relieve  the  mails  of  a  largo  mass  of  matter  which  only  serves 
to  encumber  them,  to  the  detriment  of  the  service  and  detention  of 
other  matter,  without  conferring  any  real  benefit  on  the  persons  for 
whose  benefit  it  was  passed,  and  to  whom,  at  that  time,  it  vis  a  con- 
venience. 

I  would  also  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  act  works  great  injus- 
tice to  those  postmasters  who  happen  to  be  in  the  vicinity  of  our  armiea. 
Their  compensation  is  derived  from  the  per  centage  allowed  by  law 
on  che  amount  of  postage  paid  into  their  respective  offices.  Post- 
masters in  the  vicinity  of  bodies  of  troops  have  to  receive  and  mail 
all  the  franked  letters  brought  to  them,  making  out  the  post-bills  and 
keeping  the  accounts  and  making  the  required  returns  to  this  Dep  r^ 
ment,  without  compensation  The  commissions  due  on  these  lettenr 
arc  then  collected  at  the  offices  of  delivery  where  the  postage  is  paid, 
and  is  thus  transferred,  by  operation  of  this  law,  from  the  persons  en- 
titled to  it  on  account  of  the  performance  of  the  labor  above  named, 
to  others  who  have  done  nothing  to  entitle  them  to  receive  it.  And, 
as  an  aggravation  of  this  wrong,  the  postmasters  who  deliver  these 
letters,  and  receive  the  compensation,  which,  in  the  absence  of  this 
law,  would  have  been  paid  to  the  postmasters  mailing  the  letters,  and 
who  are  rightfully  entitled  to  it,  also  mail  the  return  letters  from  per- 
sons not  entitled  to  frank  them;  and  as  the  postage  on  the  return 
letters,  not  written  by  soldiers,  is  paid  at  the  mailing  office,  they  also 
get  the  commissions  on  them  ;  and  the  answers  are  returned  to  the 
posmasters  who  mailed  the  franked  letters  for  nothing,  and  they  have 
to  deliver  the  answers  without  compensation. 

At  many  offices  this  has  made  a  difference  of  thousands  of  dollars 
in  their  receipts,  and  a  loss  to  the  postmasters  of  the  commissions  on 
that  (Inference.  The  Department,  is  constantly  receiving  letters  of 
complaint  from  po::tmaster^  on  account  of  this  injustice,  but  is  power- 
less to  relieve  them  while  the  Jaw  remains  unrepealed.  Its  repeal 
would  benefit  the  revenues  of  the  Department,  disencumber  the  mails 
of  a  great  mass  of  matter  which  now  finds  its  way,  at  last,  to  4ie 
dead  letter  office,  would  avoid  the  above-mentioned  injustice  to  post- 
masters, and  would  work  no  inconvenience  to  those  for  whose  benefit 
it  was  designed,  as  they  can  now,  at  all  times,  obtain  postage  stamps 
with  which  to  pre-pay  their  postage. 


PAYMENT    OF     POSTAGE    BY     AGENTS    OF    THE    DEPARTMENT  AND    MAIL    CON- 
TRACTOR *. 

My  report  of  November  the  £7th,  1S61,   contains   the  .following : 

"  I  must  also  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  special  and  route  and 
local  agents  of  the  Department  are  required  to  make  frequent  and  some- 
times voluminous  report  to  the  Department,  and  to  correspond  with 
each  other  and  with  postmaster,  in  regard  to  the  service;  and  there  is  no 
law  to  relieve  them  from  paying  the  postage  out  of  their  private  means, 
on  this  cDrrespondencer  elating  to  official  business.  This  condition  of 
things  must  result  in  taxing  these  necessary  agents,  so  as  to  drive 
them  out  of  the  service,  or  in  causing  them  to  omit  the  discharge  of  their 
most  important  duties,  in  order  to  avoid  the  expense  of  paying  the 
postage  on  their  communications. 

'•The  contractors  for  carrying  the  mails  are  also*  required  to  make 
frequent  responses  to  communications  sent  them  from  the  Department 
in  relation  to  the  service,  and  to  return  to  the  Auditor,  quarterly,  the 
evidence  of  payments  made  them  for  such  service,  and  to  report  to 
the  Department  the  cause  of  every  failure  and  of  all  irregularities,  in 
the  service,  on  their  several  routes.  1  must  therefore  asl:  that  Con- 
gress make  some  provision  to  relieve  them  from  the  payment  of  this 
postage.  This  can  be  done  by  authorizing  them  to  charge  the  amount 
to  the  Confederate  States  in  their  quarterly  accounts  for  re-payment, 
under  such  restrictions  as  Congress  may  prescribe,  or  by  authorizing 
them  to  frank  such  communications,  under  the  same  restrictions 
placed  upon  others  connected  with  the  Postofficc  Department,  who  are 
authorized  to  frank  their  official  correspondence." 

Again,  in  my  report  of  the   2rtth   of    February,    1SG2,  I   made   the 
/following  reference  to  this  matter  : 

"  I  must  call  attention  to  the  recommendation  made  in  my  last  re- 
port, that  Congress  provide  some  means  of  relieving  9]  ecial  and  route 
and  local  agents  and  contractors,  from  the  payment  of  the  postage  on 
their  official  correspondence  The  agents  are  required  to  correspond 
with  the  Department,  and  with  postmasters  and  others,  on  the  business 
of  the  department.  The  correspondence  of  the  special  agents ^  is  vo- 
luminous ;  and  contractors  for  carrying  the  mails  are  required  to 
make  frequent  responses  to  communications  sent  them  from  the  De- 
partment in  relation  to  the  service,  and  to  return  to.  the  Auditor, 
quarterly,  the  evidence  of.  payments  made  them  for  such  service, 
to  report  to  the  Department  the  cause  of  every  failure  and  of  all  irregu- 
larities in  the  service  on  their  several  routes.  My  recommendations 
on  this  subject  were  not  acted  on,  and  I  beg  respectfully  to  renew 
them,  and  to  call  attention  to  the  reasons  Etated  in  my  last  report  for 
requesting  this  action  ;  and  also  to  renew  the  suggestions  contained 
in  that  report,  as  to  the  modes  of  remedying  this d  legislation." 

The  subject  has  not  yet  been  acted  on,  and  I  feel  it  to  he  my  duty 
again  To  bring  it  to  your  attention,  as  deserving  the  consideration  of 
Congress. 


10 


CONTRACT  BUREAU TRANSPORTATION  OF  THE  MAILS. 

On  the  30th  June  last  the  post-routes  in  operation  in  the  Confede- 
rate Stat  en  were  95,o?7  miles  in  length  as  fdlloi 

On  8*266  miles  of  railroads,  at  a  cost  of  10,6*25  25 

as  shown  by  tabular  statement  marked  (FA 
On    S 7 , 3 ]  1    miles   of  other   classes  of^posn- 

routes,  at  a  cost  of  1,234,4  \%    15 


$2,135,027   40. 


Showing  a  reduction  in  the  cost  of  transpor- 
•     tation,  a3  compared  with  the  last  fiscal  year 

under  the  government  of  the  United  States, 

of  •  $1,278,252  GO 

The  number  of  mail  contractors  in  the  service  during  the  year  was 
1,519,  of  route  agents.  128,  local  agents  2,  and-mail  messengers  165, 
connected  with  the  mail  service  on  railroads. 

At  the  lettings  in  the  State?  of  Texas,  Arkansas,  Louisiana,  Mis- 
sissippi, Alabama  and  Tennessee,  for  mail  service  tor  four  years  from 
and.  after  the  first  of  July  last,  the  service  was  tak&n  at  greatly  in- 
creased prices,  resulting  from  causes  which  have  been  heretofore 
brought  to  your  notice. 

The  number  of  post-routes  offered  to  bidders  in  those  States  was 
980,  and.  proposals  were  accepted  upon  , 

•tracts  have  been  properly  executed  for  the  faithful  performance 
of  service  on  637,  and  on  126  the  contracts  have  not  yet  been  re- 
turned to  the  Department  properly  executed.  201  routes  have  not 
been  let  to  contract.  Of  this  number  114  are  in  the  State  of  Ten- 
nessee, within  the  lines  of  the  enemy.  22  were  not  let  in  conse- 
quence of  the  excessive  compensation  demanded  for  service  thereon, 
and.  upon  34  no  bids  were  submitted,  and  31  have  been  suspended  for 
various  causes.  A  tabular  statement  is  appended  marked  (G)  show- 
ing the  number  of  mail  routes  (exclusive  of  railroads)  let  to  contract 
under  the  advertisement  of  the  Department  of  January  1st,  1862,  to- 
gether with  the  aggregate  number  of  miles,  length  of  routes,  amount 
of  compensation,  and  mean  rate  of  cost  per  mile  in  each  State,  with 
the  exception  of  Tennessee. 

A  full  report  will  be  submitted  to  Congress  in  the  early  part  of  the 
session,  in  conformity  with  the  provisions  of  an  act  of  Congress,  ap- 
proved July  2d,  183G,  of  all  offers  for  carrying  the  mails  made  within 
the  year  ending  December  31st,  1862,  and  of  all  contracts  made  for 
the  transportation  of  the  mails  within  that  year. 

The  mail  service  in  the  States  of  Virginia.  North  Carolina,  South 
Carolina,  Georgia  and  Florida  has  been  carefully  revised,  with  a  view 
to  Economy  and  efficiency,  and  the  necessary  advertisements  issued 
inviting  proposals  for  mail  service  therein  for  the  period  of  four  years 
from  and  after  the  1st- of  July,  1863. 

Some  estimate  may  bv  formed  of  the  labor  required  of  the  Contract 


11 

Bureau,  in  connection  with  the  postal  service,  from  the  fact*  that  the 
manuscript  correspondence  of  the  Bureau,  between  the  first  of  Juno, 
1861,  and  the  31st  December,  1862,  covers  1,551  pages  of  the  largest 
size  letter  books,  independent  of  vast  numbers  of  circular  letters  is- 
sued ;  the  great  number  of  analogous  cases  rendering  their  use  both 
convenient  and  necessary. 

Various  efforts  have  been  made  by  the  Department  to  secure  more 
certain  connections  of  the  mail  trains  on  the  Great  Southern  route 
between  this  city  and  Charleston,  Savannah  and  Montgomery,  by  co- 
operating with  the  several  railroad  companies  in  the  adoption  of  new 
schedules  at  a  reduced  rate  of  speed,  but  without  success,  and  the 
Department  is  not  possessed  of  the  power  to  make  schedules  for  mail 
trains  upon  railroads,  without  the  consent  of  the  companies,  so  that 
the  evils  arising  out  of  the  present  irregularities  in  the  arrivals  and 
departures  of  the  mails flpon  that  line,  must  continue  to  be  felt  by  the 
public,  until  the  railroad  officers  can  agree  to  a  new  schedule  that  can 
be  run  with  more  certainty  than  the  one  now  in   use. 

Until  this  is  done,  the  Department  can  only  correct  the-  evils  refer- 
red, to  in  a  limited  degree,  by  rigidly  imposing  penalties  for  not  runr 
ning  in  conformity  with  existing  schedules. 

O  APPOINTMENT    BUREAU. 

The  whole  number  of  postofficea  in  the   Confederate   Stat 
not  including  the  States  of  Kentucky  and  Missouri,  on  the 

3 1st  December,  1365,  was  8,613 
Whole  number  of  offices  established  from    June    1st,  1361, 

to  December  31st,  1862,  281 

Number  discontinued,  627 

Number  of  resignations  of  postmasters,  2,034 

Number  of  postmasters  removed,  190 

Number  of  postmasters  who  have  diod,  144 

Number  of  postmasters  appointed,  8,431 

Number  of  postmasters  commissioned,  6,798 

which  will  appear  in  detail  by  reference  to  tabular  statement  marked 

(H.)  , 

Of  these  the  number  of  postofficea  established  since  the  date 

of  my  ^eport  February  28th,  1.862,   is  165 

Number  discontinued,  370 

Number  of  resignations  of  postmasters,  1.2*27 

Number  of  postmasters  removed,  75 

Number  of  postmasters  who  have  died,  64 

Number  of  postmasters  appointed,    t  1,4-43 

Number  of  postmasters  commissioned,  1,532 

The  number  of  requisitions  made  by  postmasters  for  post- 
office  blanks,  wrapping  paper  and  twine,  since  the  date  of 
my  report  February  25th,  1862,  to  December  31st,  1862, 
is  8,625 

Number  of  requisitions  filled,  8,625 


12 


Post  bills  famished, 

Mails  received, 

Tvlriils  sent, 

Newspaper  accounts, 

Accounts  current, 

Prepaid  matter. 

Signature  post  bills, 

Mails  received  for  distribution, 

Mails  sei&for  distribution, 

Distribution  signature  post  bills. 


Making  an  aggregate  of 


Wrapping  paper  furnished  to  postmasters, 


Cotton  twine, 
Hemp   twine, 

Blanks  remaining  on  hand  for  distribution: 

Post  bills, 

Mails  received, 

Mails  sent, 

N  e  w  a  p ;  i  p  e  r  accounts, 

Accounts  current, 

Pre-paid  matter, 

Mails  received  for  distribution, 

Mails  sent  for  distribution, 

Wrapping  paper  on  hand, 


Cotton  twine,  ^  93  pounds. 

Hemp  twine,  I  540  " 

which  will  appear  in  detail  by  reference  to  tabular  statement  marked 
(I.)  All  the  requisitions  on  the  Department  for  blanks,  up  to  date, 
have  been  filled. 

Number  of  marking   and  rating   stamps  furbished   to  post- 
masters since  my  last  report,  129 

On  the  9th  of  April  last,  a  contract  was  entered  into  with  Mr.  John 
Ii.  Seals,  of  Atlanta,  Georgia,  for  the  printing  of  the  Department. 
In  consequence  of  the  repeated  failures  of  the  contractor  to  fill  the 
orders  made  on  him,  and  the  embarrassments  of  the  Department,  re- 
sulting therefrom,  this  contract  was  annulled  on  the  3d  of  November 
last.  And  another  contract  was  made  with  Ritchie  and  Dunnavant, 
of  this  city,  on  the  5th  of  November  last. 

The  postmasters  throughout  the  Confederate  States  have  been  fur- 


Reams. 

Shrels, 

311 

52 

215 

00 

129 

364 

S3 

307 

70 

3  14 

2 

178 

237 

451 

It) 

26 

27 

360 

8  J 

00 

1171 

122 

Rca^s. 

Qu'rcs. 

1343 

141 

Pounds. 

59  n 

360 

Reams. 

Sheds. 

25 

G 

22 

465 

54 

150 

4:) 

00 

5Q 

320 

13 

410 

21) 

00 

20 

00 

224 

00 

13 

nislied  with  printed  copies  of  all  the  laws  relating  to  the  Fostoffice 
Department,  passed  by  Congress  from  the  organization  of  the  govern- 
ment up  to  this  date. 

FINANCE     BUREAU. 

Amount  of  money  placed  in  the  various  depositories 
of  the  Department,  by  postmasters,  from  the  date  of 
mv  report  of  February  23th,  to  the  31st  of  December 
kst,  was  $479,172   49 

Balance  to  the  credit  of  the  Department  in  the  treasury         . 

and  its  branches  on  the  28th  of  February  last,  312,699  82 

Amount  appropriated  by  act  of  April  3d,   1862,  in  aid 

of  the  revenues  of  the  Department,  1,451,602   31 

By  act  of  September  22d,  1862,  8UU,00U  00 

$3,083,474  62 
Between  the  28th  of  February  nnd  31st  December  last, 
1764  warrants  wetVissued  on  the  treasury  and  its 
brandies  in  payment  of  postal  service,  amounting  to 

1    J  $1,055,838  08 

Leaving  now  in  the  treasury  and   its   branches   for   the^ 

service  of  the  department,  §2.027,636^54 

Number  of  warrants  issued  between  the  28th  February 

and  31st  December  last,  was  1764,  amounting  to       §1,055,833  08 

Number  of  drafts  issued  for  the  same  time  was   2,091, 

amounting  to  282,425  45 

Total  amount  paid  by  warrants  and  draft?,  $|,338,263  53 

Of  the  $2,027,636.54  in  the  treasury  and  its  branches,  $653,386.97 
is  to  the  credit  of  the  appropriation  of  $800,000  to   pay  contractors 
for  services  rendered  pri6r  to  the  1st  June,  1861,  under  "  An  act  to 
provide  for  the  payment  of  sums  ascertained  to  be  due  for  postal  ser- 
vice,  to  citizens  of  the  Confederate  States,  by  the  Postmaster  General." 
There  is  also  in  the  treasury,  subject  to  the  requisitions 
of  the  Department,  and  not  embraced  in  the  foregoing 
statement,  the  following  amounts  under  act  of  9th  of 
October,  1862,  S|*W  f 

Under  act  of  13th  of  October,  1862,  130,60739 

$261,214   78 
The    number    and  denominations   of    postage   stamps   supplied  to 
postmMSters,  from  28th  of  February  to  31st  of  December  last,  was  as 
follows  : 

Number  of  f  ct.  stamps,  738,000         Value,  $14,760  00 

5       «  25,577,431  "  1,278,871   5o 

10       "  4,886,611  "  488,661    10 

Making,  "31^202,042  $1,782,292  65 


The  number  of  dead  letters  opened,  and  containing  $  1  3,519 
17  in  money,  registered  and  sent  out  to  the  3 1st  of  December, 
was  1,720 

Number  of  dead  letters  opened   and    filed,  containing  $14,438 

32  in  money  not  yet  sent  out,  1,G70 

Number  of  dead  letters,  containing  drafts,  checks,  bills  of  ex- 
change, and  other  enclosures  of  value,  amounting  to  $2,344,- 
240.37,  registered  and  sent  out,  4,220 


Total  number  of  dead  letters  containing  money  and  valuables,     7,610 

Number  of  unpaid  letters  held  for  postage/  5!, 0.55 

Number  of  drop  letters  held  for  postage,  29,452 

Number  of  dead  letters,  45  4,285 


535,392 
Total  of* dead  letters,  %43*002 


AUDITOR  S    OFFICE. 

The  report  of  :  lie  Auditor  shows  that  the  gross  amount 
of  postage  stamps  sold,  to  the  30th  of  June,  1862, 
was,  $692,067   94 

The  amount  used  in  the  pre-payment  of  postage,  and 

cancelled,  was  446,088  84 

Leaving  outstanding,  $245,379   10 

He  also  shows  that  the  nett  revenue  from  postages,  being  the  ag- 
gregate amount  of  balances  due  the  Confederate  States  by  postmasters, 
on  the  adjustment  of  their  quarterly  accounts,  to  the  30th  of  June, 
1862,  was 

For  the  month  of  June,  1861,  $48,431   41 

For  the  quarter  ending  September  30th,  1861,  215,001    20 

For  the  quarter  ending  December  31st,  1861,  275,979  29 

For  the  quarter  ending  March  31st,  1862,  242,404  04 

For  the  quarter  ending  June  30th,  1862,  395,798  46 


$1,177,614  46 


And  that  the  number  of  accounts  audited,  from  the  first  of  June, 
1861,  to  the  30th  September,  1862,  was 

For  the  month  of  June,  1861,  4,914 

For  the  quarter  ending  September  30th,  1861,  ^            7,539 

For  the  quarter  ending  December  31st,  1861,  7,063 

For  the  quarter  ending  March  31st,  1862,  6,034 

For  the  quarter  ending  June  30th,  1862,  5,098 


Making  an  aggregate  of  30,648 


#That  the  number  of  postoffices  in  operation,  as  shown  by  the  books 
of  his  office,  from  June  1st,  1861,  to  June  30th,  1862,  was         7,163 

Of  which  104  are  "draft  offices,"  and  paid  during  that 

period  2,984  drafts,  amounting  in  the  aggregate  to       $282. S3!    34 

Ninety-six  are  "  deposit  offices,''  and  during  this  period 

deposited  with  the  treasury  and  its  branches,  609,05  )   29 

Six  thousand  five  hundred  and  fifty-five  are  "  collection 
offices,"  and  paid  on  collection  orders,  issued  to  con- 
tractors, during  this  period,  335,889   01 

Four  hundred  and  eight  are  "special"  and  "mail- 
messenger"  offices,  and  derive  their  supply  of  mails 
chiefly  from  the  revenues  of  the  offices,  the  cost  of 
which  during  the  year  w  23,280   40 

Showing  the  amount  paid  into  the  treasury,  for  the  use 
of  the  Fostoffice  Department,  by  postmasters,  after 
the  retention  of  their  personal  compensation,  and  the 
incidental  expenses  of  their  offices,  to  have  been,       $1,301,101   04 

Uncollected  balances  remaining  in  the  hands  of  late 
postmasters,  exclusive  of  the  amount  due  to  the 
United  States,  $19,773  99 

The  balance  due  to  late   postmasters   for   same  period, 

exclusive  of  amount  due  by  United  States,  -26,939   69 

Amounts  collected  from  late  postmasters  for  same  period, 

exclusive  of  sums  due  United  States,  4,00]    50 

INSPECTION    OFFICE. 

The  amount  of    fines  imposed  on   mail   contractors,    for    culpable 
negligence  in  the  performance  of  their  contracts,  from  the  l»t  of  Jan- 
uary to   the   31st  of  December,  1862,  is  $M44  60 
Amount   of  deductions   on  account  of  failures   and  ir- 
regularities in  the  performance  of  their  contracts  for 
the  same  period  is.                                                                  112,625  05 


Making,  SI  15,069  65 

Amount   of   fines  from    1st  June    to   3 1st  December, 

1861,  764  1.6 

Amount  of  deductions  for#same  period,  31,283  13 

Making  an  aggregate  of  §!47,1  16  84 

which  stands  to  the  credit  of  the  Department  in  the  accounts  for  mail 
transportation. 

CHANGE    OF    FOSTM ASTERS    AND    CONTRACTORS. 

The  Department  has  encountered  much  inconvenience,  and  some 
pecuniary  loss,  and  has  been  subject  to  a  heavy  correspondence,  on 
account  of  the  frequent  changes  of  postmasters  and  contractors  for 
carrying  the  mails,  in  consequence  of  the  existing  war,  as  many  of 
both  classes  had,  from  time  to  time,  gone  into  the  army,  before  the 


•  16 

• 

date  of  the  act  of  tin  1  lth  of  October  last.  "  to  exempt  certain  poi- 
sons from  military  duty,"  &c,  which  rendered  all  of  each  class  be- 
tween the  ages  of  eighteen  and  forty-five,  except  postmasters  appointed 
by  the  President  and  confirmed  by  the  Senate,  liable  to  military  duty, 
thus  rendering  new  appointments  land  new  contracts,  or  the  rec 
tion  of  the  transfers  of  contracts,  necessary. 

The  act  above  referred  to  will  increase  these  difficulties,  and  by 
rendering  the  contractors  and  their  drivers  and  riders  liable  to  mili- 
tary service,  seriously  embarrass  the   postal   service,  and  will  al 

e  the  expenditures  for  the  transportation  of  the  mails  during  the 
existence  of  tha  p  ontract  term.     Another  effect  of  thi 

the  postal  service,  will  be,  by  a  reduction  of  the  number  of  bidders, 
and  of  the  competition  for  contracts  to  be  let  during  the  coming 
spring  in  the  States  of  Virginia,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina, 
Georg:a  and  Florida,  for  the  ensuing  term  of  four  years,  to  enhance 
materially  the  cost  of  the  service.    . 

COMPENSATION    OF    ROUTE     AND    SPECUL    AGENTS. 

The  maximum  rate  of  compensation  alio  ved  to  the  route  ngen.ts  of 
the  Department  is  ei^ht  hundred  dollars  per  annum.  This,  at  the 
present  prices  of  the  means  of  living,  is  not  sufficient;  and  I  recom- 
mend that  it  be  increased  to  one  thousand  dollars. 

The  compensation  of  the  special  agents  of  the  Department  is  six- 
teen hundred  dollars  per  annum,  andjjy  act  of  March  3d,  1845,  they 
were  allowed  the  sum  of  two  dollars  per  day,  when  actually  employed 
as  mail  agents,  to  defray  their,  travelling  and  incidental  expenses. 
None  but  men  of  superior  business  qualifications  and  integrity  can 
be  usefully  employed  as  special  agents.  The  services  of  such  men  as 
the  good  of  the  public  service  requires  in  these  positions,  cannot  be 
commanded  without  allowing  them  a  reasonable  compensation.  Their 
duties  require  them  to  be  almost  constantly  travelling;  ami  their 
travelling  expenses  are  now  from  three  to  four  dollars  per  day.  I  re- 
commend that  their  per  diem  allowance  for  travelling  and  incidental 
expenses  be  increased  to  three  dollars  per  day,  while  actually  employed 
in  travelling  on  the  business  of  the  Department. 

Very  respectfully, 

^our  obedient  servant, 

JOHN  II.  REAGAN, 

Postmaster  General. 
•The  President 


n 


STATEMENT  exhibiting   the  receipts  of  tire  Post   Office   Department,  under  their 
several  heads,  from  the   1st  June,  1801,  to  June  30th,  1802. 


c 


_rz 


Letter  Postage 79,-158  OS   350,968  70  300,340  41  1102,711  20  125,967  70  1 ,035,443  42 

Newspapers  and  Pam- 
phlets      11,978  16     60,440  02  50,17111     48,580  70  45,96274  217,174  03 

Postage  Stamps  sold -  . . . .  97,36110   179,258  8]  414,047  97  692,06794 

950  10       2,6S9  6S  740  01       0,004  75  1,200  70  S,S8S  33 


Surplus      of      Emolu- 
ments. 


92,384  07   414,098  40   491,115  99   41S,S05  40    5 


$•2,003,578  73 


Respectfully  submitted; 
Hon.  J.  H.  Reagan.  Postmaster  General. 


Auditor's  Ofpicb,  P.  O.  Dipabtmebt, 

December  20,  1S02. 


ROLLING  BAKER,  Auditor. 


18 


B. 


STATEMENT  exhibiting  the  Expenditure!  of   the  Post  Office  Department,  under 
their  several  heads,  from  the  1st  June,  1861,  to  :>0th  June,  18(32. 


Transportation 

Compensation  of  Post- 
masters   

Compensation  of  Post- 
office  Clerks 

Ship,  steamboat,  and 
way  letters 

Advertising 

Ma  1  Bags 

Office  Furniture 

Blanks  and  Printing... 

"Wrapping  Paper 

Mail  Locks,  keys  and 
stamps 

Mail  Depredations  and 
Special  Agents 

Miscellaneous  pay- 
ments   

Postage  Stamps 


82  JOTS 

155,041 

8,17i 

116 


8,000 

4.7:12 


861 


c- 


O'.-i 


496,569  97 

166,003  06 

2>,977  7c 

172  68 
1,042  90 

42  75 

2  7i> 

2.42s  H5 

1,814  69 

114  49 

4.714  87 

5,918  76 

8,473  20 


1:55,927  24    715,7S1  17 


588,654 

1S4,G64 

25,941 

150 
888 
466 
63 
6 
224 

285 

6,121 

4,S01 
4,327 


492,250  42 

17,3i:>  29 

193  84 

1,929  59 

1S5  25 


429  77 
72  87 

15618 

4,174  87 

2,258  80 
8,828  00 


811,544  7S;  681,586  65 


;:  as 


4 N  1,479  (IT 

168,818  04 

30,726  18 

260  09 
8,252  1 1 

2m  45 

16  (III 

23,7:!7  96 

3,243  44 

183  06 

5,196  24 

4,402  32 
6,245  50 


720.530  39 


,135,027  40 

707,274  8 

111,187  7S 

s9s41 
S,247  28 
L  716  52 

si  si 

29,602  6s 

9,5S7  45 

763  07 

20,876  01 

1S,237  45 
22,S69  5d 


"S  ? 


$8,065,820  23 


Respectfully  submitted; 
IIou.  J.  H.  Reacan.  Postmaster  General. 


Auditor's  Oifice,  P.  O.  Department, 
December  20,  1862. 


ROLLING  BAKER,  Auditor. 


19 


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20 
(D.) 

REPORT  OF  W.  E.  M.  WORD,  SPECIAL  AGENT    POSTOFFICE  DEPARTMENT. 

Richmond,  Nov.  28,  1862. 

Sir  :  I  beg  leave  to  call  your  attention  to  the  fact,  that  very  few  of 
the  unpaid  letters  franked  by  soldiers,  and  sent  to  other  soldiers  in  the 
army  in  this  State,  are  taken  from  the  various  postoffices  to  which 
they  are  addressed.  As  an  instance  of  their  rapid  accumulation,  I 
have  only  to  mention  the  fact,  that  during  the  last  six  or  eight  woeks, 
while  our  army  was  at  Winchester,  very  few  of  those  letters  were 
taken  from  that  office,  and  the  postmaster  at  that  place,  upon  the 
"  falling  back"  of  the  army,  returned  to  the  Richmond  postoffice,  for 
distribution,  six  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty-Jive  unpaid  franked 
letters.  The  postmaster  at  Winchester  informed  ice  that  the  regular 
"  mail  messengers"  from  the  different  brigades,  regiments,  battalions, 
&c,  refused  to  take  those  unpaid  franked  letters  from  the  office,  because 
the  soldiers  would  not  refund  the  amount  paid  back  to  them.  This 
same  excuse  has  been  given  by  nearly  all  the  "  army  mail  messengers," 
at  all  the  postoffices  at  or  near  which  the  army  has  been  located.  The 
postmaster  at  Winchester  also  informed  me,  that  he  had  written  to 
the  different  commanders  of  the  regiments,  that  so  many  unpaid 
franked  letters,  (naming  the  number)  were  in  the  office  for  his  men. 
After  that,  some  few  were  called  for,  but  the  large  majority  were  left 
in  the  office. 

To  my  own  knowledge,  thousands  of  these  letters  are  sent  quarterly 
to  the  Dead  Letter  office.  It  seems  to  me,  now  that  we  have  plenty 
of  postage  stamps,  that  the  law  is  of  very  little  advantage  to  the  sol- 
dier, and  ought  to  be  repealed,  as  the  accumulation  of  these  unpaid 
letters  at  any  postoffice  retards,  very  inucji,  the  business  of  that 
office.  At  the  same  time,  the  mailing  and  distribution  of  these  letters 
is  a  very  heavy  expense  to  the  PoBtoffice  Department. 

With  high  respect, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

•  W.  E.  M.  WORD, 

Special  Agent  Postoffice  Department. 

Hon.  John  II.  Reagan, 

Postmaster  General. 


21 


(E.) 

LETTER  OF  J.  0.  8TEGER,  P.  M.  Richmond,  Va. 

Richmond  Postoffice,  Jan.'^,  1863. 

Dear  Sir  :  As  near  as  can  be  ascertained,  there  are  at  this  time  in 
this  office  ten  thousand  letters  addressed  to  soldiers  in  the  army  which 
have  not  been  taken  out  of  the  office,  either  because  the  parties  to 
whom  they  were  addressed  could  not  or  would  not  pay  the  postage 
due  on  them.  I  feel  very  sure  that  I  am  largely  within  the  mark  in 
the  number  stated.  At  one  time,  six  hundred  and  forty  dollars  of  due 
letters  belonging  to  soldiers  were  returned  to  this  office  from  Winches- 
ter alone.  A  large  number  were  sent  here  also  from  Gordonsville. 
A  large  number  of  these  letters,  I  am  informed  by  my  clerks,  have 
been  travelling  the  rounds  with  the  army,  without  ever  having  been 
taken  out.  Included  in  this  list,  are  a  large  number  of  letters  written 
by  surgeons  in  the  charge  of  hospitals,  to  commandants  of  regiments, 
giving  information,  doubtless,  of  the  death  or  discharge  from  the  hos- 
pital of  soldiers,  which  are  of  the  utmost  importance,  I  should  think, 
to  the  service.  Some  provision  should  be  made  by  the  War  Depart- 
ment to  have  these  letters  delivered,  as  they  are  now  not  taken  out  of 
the  office,  because  of  the  postal  charges  on  them. 

The  mail  matter  for  the  army  is  generally  taken  out  of  the  office  by 
officers  or  mail  messengers,  sent  for  the  purpose.  Neither  the  officers 
nor  the  mail  messengers,  will,  as  a  general  rule,  take  out  letters  upon 
which  the  postage  is  due,  and  as  the  private  soldiers  rarely  have  an 
opportunity  to  apply  at  the  office  themselves,  it  is  certain  that  so  long 
as  the  franking  privilege  is  continued,  a  very  large  number  of  letters 
addressed  to  soldiers  by  other  soldiers  will  remain  as  dead  matter  in 
the  offices.  In  my  judgment,  the  boon  which  Congress  designed  to 
bestow  upon  the  soldier,  by  allowing  him  to  send  off  his  letters  without 
prepaying  the  postage,  has  baen  far  more  fruitful  of  inconvenience 
and  injury  to  the  soldier  himself  than  of  benefit;  and  it  has  been  par- 
ticularly injurious  to  the  service,  inasmuch  as  a  large  number  of 
letters  from  surgeons,  quartermasters,  commissaries,  and  other  officers 
in  the  service,  containing  matter  highly  important  to  the  service,  have 
been  permitted  to  lie  as  dead  matter  in  the  postoffice3  because  they 
were  franked. 

I  regret  that  the  numerous  calls  upo^  my  time  to-day,  and  the  fre- 
quent interruptions  to  which  I  have  been  subjected  while  writing  this 
hasty  letter,  have  prevented  my  giving  you  a  more  detailed  and  satis^ 
factory  account  of  the  practical  working  of  the  act  of  Congress,  allow- 
ing soldiers  to  frank  their  letters. 

Very  respectfully,  ^ 

Your  obedient  servant, 

J.  0.  STEGER, 
postmaster  Richmond  City,  Va. 
Hon*  J*  Hi  Reagan, 

Pottmotfer  Gemra!>  • 


r>   > 


A  SUMMARY  of  Railroad  Service  in  the  Confederate  States,  on  the  GOlh  of  Jnne, 

L862. 


Statks. 


Alabama 

Aikansas 

Florida 

Georgia 

Louisiana 

Mississippi 

North  Carolina. 
South  Carolina. 

Tennessee 

Texis 

Virginia 


Distance. 

Annual  Fay. 

Annual  cost 
of  Route 
Agencies. 

Annual  cost 

of  Mail 
Mtssengers. 

Total  Annu- 
al cost. 

Av'rage  cost 
per    rolle 
i  n     each 
State. 

822  95-100 

109,067  50 

7,850  00 

1,888  00 

11S.250  50 

143  08 

40 

8  000  00 

3,000  00 

27,777  50 

75  00 

40S\- 

24,887  50 

800  03 

140  00 

68  81 

1,374  1-12 

144,032  25 

14,550  00 

1,893  00 

100,475  25 

189  00 

804 

43,800  00 

4,000  00 

1,000  00 

4S.800  00 

160  52 

944 

128,552  50 

8,000  00 

2,010  00 

133,508  tn 

141  50 

no# 

66,625  00 

9,500  00 

1,739  00 

77,804  CO 

109  66 

119,325  00 

13,900  0) 

3,102  00 

136,327  00 

128  03 

661  97-100 

98,428  03 

B,50D  00 

2,312  00 

104,240  CO 

120  04 

mx 

84,787  50 

1,000  00 

350  00 

30,743  50 

89  72 

1,827 

8*260  4.12 

180,170  00 

19,000  00 

1,892  00 

157,062  00 

US  78 

900,625  25 

88  300  00 

15.7S3  00 

1,004,708  00 

Confederate  States  of  America,  Post  Office  Departmknt, 
Contract  Bureau,  January  9,  1S62. 


Respectfully  submitted: 


H.  St.  GEO.  OFFUTT, 

Chief  of  the  Contract  Bureau. 


CONDENSED  TABULAR  STATEMENT  exhibiting  the  number  of  Mail  Routes 
(exclusive  of  Railroad  Routes)  let  under  the  advertisement  of  the  Postmaster  General, 
of  January  31,  1863,  together  with  the  length  thereof  and  compensation  therefor, 
in  each  State,  and  the  aggregate  length  and  compensation  of  all,  and  the  mean  rate 
per  mile,  per  State. 


States. 


Arkansas  . . 
Alabama. . . 
Louisiana.. 
Mississippi. 

Texas 

Tenhessee*. 


Actual  No.  of 
miles. 


6,011 
6,471 

3,743 
5,.j6L 
11,S45 


No.    miles 

travelled.      Compensation, 


20,002 
2'2,562 
14,126 
17,984 
87,816 


$209, 6s9  0O 
118,393  00 


109,476  00 

100,466  00 
262,867  00 


Aggregates. 


85.681 


11S.50U 


#800,891  00 


Mean  rate  per 
mite  bet'n  the 

term'nl.  points 
in  each  State. 


$10  09 

10  49 
15  49 

11  20 
13  90 


Avg.  mean  rate 
$l3  53 


•  But  few  routes  have  been  let  in  this  State  ;  hence  no  details  are  attempted 
Respectfully  submitted; 


II.  St.  GEO.  OFFUTT,  Chief  of  the  Contract  Bureau. 


Confederate  States  or  America,  Postoffice  Department, 
Contract  Burkac,  January  9.1S68. 


Jl 


II. 

A  TAl'.rr.  \\\  STATEMENT  Blowing  thenuml 
Establishments,    Disoontinuan  gnations,  &  V.ppointi 

aii-l  the  niiinlH1  med  by  this  Department  since  June 


STiTK?. 


Alabama 765 

M '  ' 

Flori.la J7J 

Georgia 348 

I.  mislana 819 

•  ),i 539 

North  Carolina 1,105 

Fouth  Carolina 605 

Tennessee 1,021 

Texas Ti  8 

Vir^ioia 1,790 


S|       eg 


28 

IOC, 

281 

24 

•-'•-' 

107 

19 

19 

•17 

n 

246 

8 

:;i 

•i'S 

;:. 

281 

21 

50 

1'.':. 

20 

::4 

'M\ 

:3:» 

B4 

189 

25 

69 

•_'•_'  I 

28 

07 

•_"J1 

618  281  <>J7        2,084 


18 
12 

2" 

;> 
15 

»', 
86 
19 
•17 

100 


77" 
610 

1.881 


617 

7    7 

558 


111     ■    - 


Respectfully  submitted: 


>.  CLEMENTS, 
Chief  of  Appointment  Bureau. 


Tost  Ofpicb  Deparimknt,  Apponmonra  Hl-reap, 
December  ;:i»t,  ls62. 


ji^led  ;  the  quantity  issued  to   each  State,  and  exhibiting  the  total 


63. 


|      Account  of  wrapping  paper 
iVfaUn    «pnt  for     Distributing     Showing   the     number   of  and  twine    issued. 

distributor u    Si8"»t»™    P°st  b.laQ*s  iwnedto  each  State; 

bills.  in  sheets  and   in  reams.  ~ 


Paper. 


Twine. 


-i. 


Cotton.  Hemp 


Virj 
Noi 
Soul 
Geo 
Ala! 
Flor 
Miss 
Lou 
Ark; 
Tern 
Texi 


240 
220 
4T0 
160 


11      . 
§8      . 

17 


127,980 
70,658 
81,178 

109,153 

56,925 
8,786 

49,765 
12,549 
6,564 
29,746 
39,049 


266 
146 
106 
227 
US 

18 
103 

26 

13     i 


300 

47S 


95 
825 


466 


Aggi 


360 


! 

83      562,202 


On 


•20 


1,171     ,  122 


374 
115 
91 
259 
151 
10 
106 
22 
20 
60 
30 

!     1,243 


1<5# 
9 
19 
16 
10 
17 
2 
1 

10 
3 
11 


14X 


120#     ! 
29X  SO 

47  60 

75^        HO 
94#         90 
9H 
8SJf 
*8%         30 

34# 

39  30 


519#       360 


,j       224 


98 


540 


B.  N.  CLEMENTS, 
Chief  of  Appointment  Bureau. 


o 


* 


Hollinger  Corp. 
pH8.5 


